Mr. Ray Raymond
Vice-Chairman
A. Fern Norville Foundation
Past present and future
The A. Fern Norville Shelter Foundation was established in the
beginning to create a Center that would provide a home- like environment for
displaced children and young victims of abuse. The purpose of the Shelter, then
and now, is not to be a permanent solution to the child’s dilemma, but a safe
place to shelter them and nurture them until the proper agency can find a
solution to their unique problem.
The A. Fern Norville Center has, for the past eighteen years,
provided haven for many of our society’s wounded children. Things are changing
as the population grows around us, bringing many of the ills of society with
it. Statistics show that 80% of the cases involving a child brought into care
as a victim of abuse and neglect are alcohol or drug abuse related. Until we
heal our society of these terrible ills, we are going to continue to have these
innocent victims.
The emergency shelter is like a window into the worst behavior
that our society/culture can exhibit as it destroys our very future, by
victimizing the children of today and destroying their hope of tomorrow. At no
time in the history of the Norville Center has there been such a demand for its
services. The constant flow of children, and the sad reality that they have to
turn away more children than they can service, brings sobering light to the need
for more services in this and many other areas.
The Norville Foundation must increase its vision if it is to
continue its mission to help the displaced child. Because of the overwhelming
population of youth in care, a need for more services related to this unique
group of children must be addressed. The Foundation is focused first on the
needs of the Emergency Shelter as a front line of defense in a war on abuse.
The need for expansion has been addressed, plans approved and the search for
help in funding underway. However, we recognize that there are many needs
related to the foster care industry that the Foundation could address in the
future. The Foundation is currently doing research into pregnant and parenting
teen programs and the current transitional living programs that are being
offered. Both of these programs, when implemented, have a great effect on the
future success of children in foster care.
The pregnant and parenting teen program would have a double
effect by providing services, not only for the foster child who finds herself
pregnant, but also providing a chance to help her and her newborn in a most
critical stage of development. Helping the expecting foster child and her
newborn get a head start in a loving, nurturing environment and providing the
opportunity to teach the new mother real parenting skills is the only effective
way to break the chain of abuse and neglect.
The transitional living program addresses one of the greatest
tragedies in the foster care system. That is the complete failure of many
foster children as they move into independence. As adults we all know how hard
it is to achieve independence in life. Many of us had to rely on the help of
family more than once as young adults starting out. The foster child has no
cushion and failure is much more tragic for them. The transitional living
programs that are now being considered by the federal government are focused on
this problem. We are exploring some of these options for the future in an
effort to give more of ourselves, reach further, and have a lasting effect on
the lives of this special group of children.
We want to thank every one in the past who has supported the
work of the Norville center and the Foundation in it efforts to enhance the
lives of the abused child. There is much work to do in the present and the
future. We cannot do this work alone. It will take a community to heal the
ills of our society and a community to save the lives of these children. We pray
for your continued support in the on going work left to be done.
Ray Raymond
A. Fern Norville Shelter Foundation
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